If you're going to elope, why not do it in style, and jet off to one of the most romantic cities on the planet?

Joel & Jae Dee eloped in Italy, with a day they describe as beautiful, perfect, and romantic.

They travelled to Venice with just a few members of their family, for a celebration that was untraditional and quintessentially 'them'.

And their big day in the iconic city was captured by David Bastianoni Studio, and planned by Sandra of Weddings in Italy.

With a fabulous strapless gown for Jae Dee and a sharp three piece suit for Joel, the couple's day was styled like something straight out of a movie, with dramatic purple lilies, glamorous attire, and portraits against some of the city's most superb backdrops.

Whether you plan to elope yourself, (or simply dream about it) prepare to swoon over gorgeous buildings, gondola rides, and one of the most intimate wedding days we've ever featured...

Wedding Day Snapshot

Our Love Story

We met through mutual friends. My best friend begged me to go out with her one night she said she had friends visiting. I really didn't feel like going out but did anyway and Joel happened to be one of the friends visiting. I'm glad I went! Joel proposed in Austin, Texas, at night, right by the water. He threw me off because we were also there for a music festival and he said we would be sharing hotel rooms with our friends. He even picked out my gorgeous ring all by himself. We did not stay in a room with friends, he got a room at the gorgeous Hotel Ella and called ahead asking for Champagne and chocolates. Sandra at Getting Married in Italy really made our day perfect and stress free from beginning to end. Pretty much everything about this was 'so us' we wanted something unique and fun which is why we picked Halloween and Venice. Anyone who doesn't want a traditional wedding should definitely look into something like this. We spent less than we would on a wedding and were still able to have the most important people with us and have a beautiful honeymoon. It really was like a dream, it was so incredible. A lot of tourists wanted to take pictures with us so we thought that was pretty neat. I had NO idea he was going to propose. Very simple. I pretty much decided everything based on the fact that I had to have purple calla lilies. Joel and I are not traditional and we loved the look of the grey suit with purple accessories rather than a tux. Joel and I had always wanted to go to Italy and we felt that Venice would be very romantic. We both love Europe and the architecture but we also wanted to do something not everyone else does. Plus, Joel said as a kid he loved the Venice scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Choosing to Elope

I wore a Jasmine Couture gown that my sister asked me to try on even though it wasn't exactly what I had been looking for. I tried it on and we all LOVED it. My belt came from David's Bridal and I found my earrings and bracelet from Tradesy. My purple accessory (besides the flowers) were my purple, peep toe, Christian Louboutin pumps. I refused to change until I went to bed.

The Inspiration

We only had a few family members there so it was very small and intimate.

The Setting

I used Pinterest for almost everything (of course). I'm a bargain shopper so I definitely shopped around for our wedding attire before making any purchases. Don't settle for something you don't want but you don't have to break the bank either. There are deals everywhere you just have to do a little research. Everyone wants their wedding day to be perfect and that can be stressful but remember, in the end all that really matters is that you married the person you love and sometimes the crazy things that happen on your wedding day just make for a better story.

The Dress

We got married on Halloween so that night we all went on a Halloween dinner cruise on an old pirate ship around Venice which was a lot of fun.

The Ceremony

We did our wedding and honeymoon in the same trip and it was absolutely perfect that way. We spent one full day in Florence and the rest of the time in Venice. The day before the wedding we spent the entire day alone together just to relax before the big day. We hung out at a local café and enjoyed people watching then we had a couples massage and enjoyed some Champagne and later we met the family for dinner. Be inspired by more Elopements & Destination Weddings.

Advice for Other Couples

The Reception

The Honeymoon

Pretty amazing, right? I just love how moody and glamorous it all feels - just imagine taking a gondola ride on your wedding day, how cool!

It's wonderful that they were able to bring a few important guests with them too, but still make lots of time to be together.

Thanks so much to David Bastianoni Studio, Sandra of Weddings in Italy, and of course, newlyweds Joel & Jae Dee for sharing their stunning elopement in Venice with us.